Review: Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull

The last time Indiana Jones was in action, he was riding off into the
sunset, with a final quest behind him. It took 19 years to coax him back to
the screen, but the archeology O.G. is back, and "Kingdom of Crystal Skull" (IMDb listing)
doesn't disappoint in the least. This is the high-flyin',
fingernail-chewing, stand-up-and-cheer summer experience as anticipated, yet
it's not exactly the same Dr. Jones as you might remember.

The year is 1957, and Indiana Jones (Harrison Ford) has settled into a life
alone, mourning the loss of his father, Henry Sr., and colleague Marcus
Brody. Rustling him out of his routine are vicious Russian soldiers, led by
psychic Irina Spalko (Cate Blanchett, a sublime heavy), who want Indy to
uncover the location of a mysterious crystal skull, using clues left behind
by his old friend, Oxley (John Hurt). Helping Indy out is Mutt Williams
(Shia LaBeouf), a tough young greaser who needs Indy to save his mother,
Marion (Karen Allen). Traveling to South America to find the lost Temple of
Akator, Indy fights to slip out of Spalko's tight grip while trying to
uncover the skull's purpose before the Russians can claim their ultimate,
world-dominating prize.

The familiar fingerprints of Indiana Jones are smudged all over "Kingdom:"
director Steven Spielberg and producer George Lucas even dust off the old
Paramount Pictures logo to help match the mood that was left hanging in
1989. It's a commendable effort, keeping the audience comfy with what
they're seeing in 2008, but it's a little misleading. "Kingdom" is an
old-fashioned, no-frills Indy adventure, but it also shakes up the franchise
wherever it can. No matter what the Beards tell the press, "Kingdom" is Indy
2.0, but in a very rewarding way. It steps forward, not back, approaching
the character's epic life from a fresh perspective.

It's a new world for Indiana Jones, who comes to "Kingdom" after his
war-hero days in WWII, still feeling the sting of loved ones who have passed
on. He's older, wiser, and fully entrenched in his stuffy professorial ways;
committed to education now more than ever, but still able and willing to
throw a punch when needed. Of course, Ford plays the aging symphony like a
maestro, never pushing too hard on the bitter old man routine, instead
nicely sinking into Indy's ripened ways. Sure, the screenplay by David Koepp
likes to poke fun at Indy's years with some clever gags, but Spielberg seems
more enchanted with the character's maturation into a team player, not using
the age for a cheap punchline.

In reality, the post-war mood is a delightful way to refresh Indy
iconography, taking the audience into a darker world where targeting
absolute evil is a more complicated process and American might is being
swallowed by communist paranoia. The original films (1981's "Raiders of the
Lost Ark," 1984's "Temple of Doom," and 1989's "The Last Crusade") all
played into the gleeful 1930's Saturday-matinee-serial mentality, marked by
pristine colors (courtesy of ace cinematographer Douglas Slocombe), heavy
detail, and sparkling outdoorsy escapades. The Cold War environment of
"Kingdom" is more claustrophobic and agitated; Spielberg and his shooter
Janusz Kaminski replicate the massively layered compositions of the earlier
installments, but ease in a new color palette and enclosed sensation through
the substantial usage of sets.

That's not to say the film is dreary; it's anything but that, yet subtle
changes are felt throughout the picture, emphasizing the polished technology
Spielberg is working with now, not to mention his own growth behind the
camera, after years of trying to strip away his "Mr. Blockbuster"
reputation. "Kingdom" snuggles into the Indy goods easily, but it's best to
acknowledge that "Kingdom" is somewhat aesthetically different than the
previous adventures, and that's an outstanding achievement.

While Spielberg is wrestling with vast sound stage spaces and easing into a
CGI-led cinematic world, "Kingdom" doesn't hesitate to reawaken the
breakneck velocity the franchise is known for. The film opens with a literal
bang, as Indy battles Spalko around the infinite warehouse location glimpsed
at the end of "Raiders," swinging around the joint with his trusty bullwhip
and barely dodging Russian bullets. Right from the starter pistol, Ford
reclaims the character's bruiser physicality and Spielberg dusts off his old
crack timing, bestowing audiences with a skillful opening reel that feels
just like a visit from an old friend; at the same time, Spielberg updates
the proceedings with a handsome 1950's mood, using the sounds of Elvis and
haunting atomic bomb testing ground locations to get viewers up to speed
with the new era.

It's chase scenes galore from there, including a crackerjack motorcycle ride
through Indy's college campus with Mutt (hunted by Russian agents) and the
film's centerpiece: a gymnastic jungle chase sequence that mirrors the
classic marathon desert brawl of "Raiders." Here, the CG glaze is most
readily apparent, but it never bothered me. With Spielberg staging the
action in sweeping, dazzling widescreen movements (seemingly allergic to
heavy editing), I'll take the Lucas-mandated artificiality with a degree of
patience. They don't make movies quite like they used to in the '80s, but
"Kingdom" shimmies awfully close to the mall-multiplex ecstasy of observing
characters leaping around the frame with abandon, pummeling each other while
the John Williams score blasts away triumphantly. When "Kingdom" rears back
and delivers the goods, the result will reduce the average Indy fan to
pudding. The film should offer a new pair of pants with every ticket.

Surprisingly, the titular MacGuffin is far more critical to the story than
previous installments have dictated. There's no fortune and glory lust about
the crystal skull for Indy, and he takes possession of the spooky magnetized
item early on in the film, leaving the rest of the action in protection mode
rather than retrieval. To keep within the '50's vibe, there are sci-fi
overtones to the story, using the 1947 events in Roswell and the skull's
football-like shape to introduce otherworldly mystery to "Kingdom" in place
of religious or supernatural focal points. The whole film is a good-natured
homage to this era of filmmaking, with giant ant rampages, Soviet
domination, and Mutt in full Brando, "Wild One" mode as a
switchblade-carrying, leather-jacket-wearing, Harley-riding delinquent.

Keeping that mindset of '50's sci-fi will help to digest the conclusion of
"Kingdom," where Lucas' fingers can be felt again in the film's second
generous helping of CG embellishment.

Even if today's filmmaking technology creeps up in "Kingdom," the heart
belongs to Ford. It's a blissful performance that mixes Indy's punch-drunk
bewilderment with haggard acknowledgement of limitation, showing age not
through fatigue but through a welcomed sense of family and educational
responsibility. Ford plays the brief tributes to Sean Connery and Denholm
Elliot with marvelous grace and dives into all the bloodied beatings, but
the real energy of "Kingdom" comes from his encounters with LaBeouf and
Allen, which crackle with traditional Indy magic and bring the absolute best
out of the actor.

Spielberg deserves a medal the way he suppresses LaBeouf's annoying
performance habits, turning the young star into a credible greaser and an
unexpectedly vulnerable sidekick. LaBeouf is a revelation here and doesn't
stick out in the Indiana Jones world as much as expected. He supports Ford
wonderfully, but once Allen shows up at the midway point, some old "Raiders"
chemistry is rekindled to steal the movie away. Marion and Indy don't
receive the luxurious screen time they deserve in "Kingdom," but the actors
make the most of it, creating needed romantic sparks at the center of all
the mayhem, lovingly comedic with their reunion and the unexpected
revelations that come with it. It's just a delight to see Ford and Allen
back in character.

"Kingdom" satisfies in a massive way, handing the faithful towering servings
of action and archeological surprise, while inching the series into new
artistic and visual directions that could conceivably open the door to
further, and wholeheartedly welcome, adventures. There's still plenty of
fire in Indy's belly to explore. It took nearly two decades to get the
character back on the screen, but it was worth the wait: "Indiana Jones and
the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull" is an exquisitely crafted, lightning-paced
thrill ride; a barnstorming blockbuster effort from Steven Spielberg, and a
return to iconic action hero fortunes for Harrison Ford. It's an absolute
treat for fans of all ages.